Tidal storage device



' W. B. HARRISON El' AL Filed oci. 2, 1934 2 sheets-sheetv 1 lNvENTos ATTOR N EYS WITN ESS:

June' 15,` 1936- w. B. HARRISON ET Al. 2,044,685

I TIJAL STORAGE DEVICE Filed oct. 2, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 l INVENTORS wl'rN Ess; ATTORNEY Piramedia 1e, 1936 UNITED STATES vPATEN'li OFFICE' 2,044,686- 'rmAL" s'roaacn nrzvrcr:A

Wallace-Rlarrlson and Charles William A Kennedy, Pasadena, Calif.

. Application October 2, 1934, Serial No. 746,588

' 1 claim. (ci. 61-20) l be particularly dened in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 i's a perspective view of an apparatus constructed and arrangedaccording to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

In the practicelof the invention, dikes I are built out into the ocean to/such a distance as may be deemed desirable or feaible. Receiving 0 reservoirs =2 are built at the inner .ends of the dikes and the reservoirs, as well as the dikes, are

preferably of cement which may have metallic re'enforcements embodied therein. A foundation of piles for the reservoirs is indicated at 3 .and it will be understood that the same type of foundation will generally' be ,providedfor the dlkes- The reservoirs are shown.as stories, the lower story being iilledj low tide Y and the upper story receivingand storing the high tide waters, the top of the upper story being open so that, in the event of very high waves.

the water may wash .over into and be trapped in the upper reservoir. Air ventflues 4 rise Vfrom the ends of the reservoirs to prevent air being' trapped'thereinor the formation of a v acuum, either of whlcl developments would interfere with surcess'i'-K peration. VThe outer wall of the reservoirs,'or"the wall presented to the seaI is inclined downwardly and outwardly,

p40 so that the force of the waves and tide coming inward'will be caused to be elevated into the reservoir. A Inlet passages 6 are formed through the outer wall to direct the water into thereservoirs,` and at the inner ends of the passages are v inwardly-openingflap check.y valves 'I which will yield to the iniowing water but will close under a reverse ow and will be held normally closed by the pressure of water in the resevloir. In the rear or landward wall 8, pipes 9 are provided at .y the oor level of 'the respective reservoirs and upon sald'wall are formed auxiliary reservoirs or regulating cha rs IB into vwhich said pipes open, as shown. n each pipe 9 is a gate valve Il, the stem or operating rod I2 of which extends to a point above the wall where it may be easily manipulated to open or close the valve ving two and are located on the shore above the mean low 10 tice level, a sea wall I1 being erected between Ithe rams and the se'a to prevent submersion of the rams, and the conduits extend through and are partly .supported by the sea wall. A drainage gate I8 is provided in the sea 'Wall for the 15 escape of any water which may tend to collect behind the wall, and the rams are preferably mounted on piers IIIv for stability and also to avoid possible surface water. 'Ihe rams may be of any known or approved construction, having 20 the usual air chamber 20, and valves 2| and 22. A delivery pipe 23'extends upward from each ram and discharges into an elevated storage reservoir 24 from which the water may escape through an outlet pipe 25 to drivean electric 25 generator or other machinery, a suitable valve being provided in the outlet pipe at or near-its delivery -end in order that the flow may be controlled. l

From the foregoing description, taken in con- 30 nectlon with the accompanying drawings', it will be seen that we have provided an apparatus by which water from the sea will be automatically stored by its own force to be subsequently drawn by gravity, as needed to diivemachinery.4 While 35 the apparatus is' emcient, it is durable and sim; ple in construction.

Having described ourinvention, what we claim is ings and a ap valve for each opening to trap sea water in the reservoirs, hand operated gate -valves for controllingV the passage of water bev tween the `reservoirs and the regulating cham- 59 bers, air vents built in the device for delivering atmospheric air to the lower reservoir and 'to the chamberaand ram feeding conduits leading from the chambers.

WALLACE B. HARRISON. 55 CHARLES KENNEDY,4

.A tidal storage device built into a sea or like 40 

